Uzbekistan sharply increases potato imports

The previous record for potato imports in January-July was recorded in 2020. According to the State Statistics Committee, the volume of potato imports in the 7 months of 2021 exceeded the imports in the previous year by 79.1 thousand tons, or by 34%.

Almost the entire volume (99.7%) of potatoes imported to Uzbekistan in January-July 2021 was purchased from six countries:

• Iran – 119 thousand tons (38.5% of total imports);
• Kazakhstan – 85.0 thousand tons (27.4%);
• Pakistan – 75.5 thousand tons (24.4%);
• Kyrgyzstan – 16.8 thousand tons (5.4%);
• The Netherlands – 8.1 thousand tons (2.6%);
• Russia – 4.2 thousand tons (1.4%);
• Other countries – 1 thousand tons (0.3%).

There is almost no export of potatoes from Uzbekistan. According to the Customs Committee of the Republic, from the beginning of January 2020 to the end of July 2021, the total volume of potato exports amounted to only 2.9 thousand tons.

In January-June 2021, over 1.5 million tons of potatoes were produced in Uzbekistan, which is 3.5% more than in the same period last year. Along with the increase in the import volume to 310 thousand tons in January-July 2021, this explains the fact that the current prices are at the same level as in September last year. As of September 9, 2021, the average wholesale prices for potatoes in the capital markets of Uzbekistan were 3,000 soums/kg ($0.28 per kg). On the same date in 2020, the average wholesale prices for potatoes were the same – 3,000 soums/kg ($0.29 per kg).